Plow beam extension



Richard W-Biishmeyer lnvcntor Rockford, Illinois Appl. No. 646,688

Filed June 16, 1967 A division of Ser. No. 487,730, Sept. 16,

1965, now Patent No. 3,351,138 dated Nov. 7, 1967.

Patented Oat. 13, 1970 Assignee 1.1. Case Company Racine, Wisconsin acorporation of Wisconsin PLOW BEAM EXTENSION 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figs.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1421155 8/1873 Summers822,632 6/1906 .Sanders 1.046395 12/1912 Langlois l lU9.063 I 9/191-1Harris et ul.

1.486.543 3/1924 Porath et a1.

1,830,013 11/1931 Bohmker 2.142.919 1/1939 Richwine FOREIGN PATENTS373321) 4/1923 Germany Primary ExuminerRobert E. Pulfrey AssistantEtaminer-Alan E. Kopecki Attorney Settle. Batchelder and Altman 172/253172/253 172/269 172/699X 172/253 l72/254X l72/773X 172/ 776 Int. Cl .1A01b15/12,

1 A01b 35/20 ABSTRACT: A plow having a main beam and a plow standardField oiSearch 172/773 776 with a trip mechanism interposedtherebetweeni The plow in- 762 763.250.253.251699 269. cludes alaminated beam extension capable of resisting the 264270; 287/64. 103bending moment and shear stressing during plowing.

12 I 5 w x a 4 5 e 42 2 z 1 v B 5 m @2]:@ Q M l I q N Z 45 20 n5 22 1%W9 A 1 5 Q 4 C "5 II "2 ,Qii 15 no 11 2 I b Patented Oct. 13, 1970 I of3Sheet inventor Ham/ 04). ELSHMEVER WILSON, SETTLE 'a BATCHELDER PatentedOct. 13, 1970 Sheet 2 w k m P .Tx H 2 7m 6 1 mi M M m 5 Int/ante).)Q/CHQED a BUjHMEVER 9 WILSON, SETTLE 8BATCHELDER.

1 PLOW BEAM'EXTENSION CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Thisapplication is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 487,730filed Sept. 16, I965, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,35l,l38.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally toimprovements in trip mechanisms for earth-working tools, such asbreakback plows. I

Attempts to prevent damage to earth-working tools, such as plowsbottoms. caused by the tool striking an earthbound obstruction, datefrom almost the inception of man's tillage of the soil. Efforts tocushion or reduce impact load imposed on tillage equipment havecontinued up to the present time. However, even recent solutions to thisproblem are, or may be rendered obsolete by subsequent improvements intractor speed and horsepower. Consequently, each improvement in tractorsalmost inherently necessitates further search for more effectivesolutions to prevent impact damage to earth-working tools caused byobstructions hidden in the soil.

The primary object of .the present invention is to provide a laminatedplow beam extension joint which affords optimum resistance to bothbending moment and shear stresses during plowing.

This and other objects and features of the present invention will becomemore fully apparent from the following description and appended claimstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the present inventionequipped with an eccentric column of fixed eccentricity;

FIG. la is a schematic diagram of the column of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and are cross-sectional views taken respectively along lines33, 4-4, and 5-5 of'FIG. l; and FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top view of FIG.1.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designatelike parts throughout, FIG. 1 shows one form of trip mechanism of thepresent invention, generally designated 10, in its normal operatingpositionon a breakback plow. Trip mechanism 10 is interposed between asubstantially horizontally extending rigid plow support, generallydesignated 12, and a plow standard 14 to which a plow bottom 16 isrigidly attached, as for example, by bolts.

The rigid support 12 comprises a plow beam 17 and a forged plow beamextension I8. The plow beam extension 18, as best illustrated in FIGS.1, 3, 4 and 5, is rigidly joined to the plow beam 17 by a laminatedconnection 19 to afford optimum, unitary resistance to the bendingmoment stresses, the shear stresses, and the torsional stressestransmitted thereto by action of the. plow against the soil.

Plow beam extension 18 has a central body 22 at its forward end fromwhich upper and lower integral flanges 23, and 24, respectively, projectessentially horizontally toward the plow beam 17. The flanges 23 and 24respectively engage the upper surface 26, lower surface 28 and-the sidesurface 30 of the plow beam 17 at angular'recesses 32 and 34 of the plowbeam extension 18, as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. By the action of theflanges 23 and .24 of the beam extension 18 against the beam 17,relative pivotalmovement of the plow beam 17 with respect to the plowbeamextension 18 is effectively prohibited and, thus, thepreviously-mentioned bending moment stresses by the plow beam 17 and theplow beam cross-sectional area) at the location of the line 3-3 of FIG.1

than at the location of line 4-4, and reaches a maximum width (and area)at the location of line '55, where the flanges 23 and 24 cease to existas the plow beam extension consists solely of the enlarged central .body22.

The plow beam'extension 18 may be appropriately bossed adjacent anaperture (not visible) through which the major pivot bolt 36 passes aswell as adjacent other bolt receiving apertures and has a downwardly andrearwardly open side recess or socket 38 disposed at therupper portionof a rear reinforcing rib 40. The specific-function of the recess 38will be described subsequently. A, I

The vertically extending legs 43 and 45 of a pair of "L- shaped"brackets 42 and 44, preferably fabricated from angle iron, respectivelyabut the plow beam 17 on one side at surface 46 and the plow beamextension 18 on the opposite side at surface 48 at the laminatedconnection 19. This prevents relative lateral sway movement between theplow beam and the plow beam extension in response to thepreviously-mentioned torsional stresses.

The upper surface 50 and 52 of the generally horizontally extending legs54 and 56 of the respective brackets 42 and 44 are adapted to receive atool or stiffener bar (not shown) where a gang of plow bottoms are to besimultaneously drawn by a tractor.

A plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 20, 21 are used to hold thebrackets 42 and 44, the rearward end of plow beam 17 and the forward endof the plow beam extension 18 as an integrated unit.

Plow beam extension 18 is rigid relative to the beam 17 and does notmove relative to the beam 17 during release or tripping of the plowbottom 16 and the standard 14 from the working position (shown in solidlines in FIG. 1) and to the idle position (shown fragmentarily inphantom lines 60 in FIG.

A pair of vertically extending parallel gusset side plates 70 and 72 arepivotally connected to the plow beam extension 18 at the major pivotbolt or pin 36, which pin passes through aligned apertures in eachplate. The gusset plates 70 and 72 are literally spaced from each otheras depicted in FIG. 2. The plates 70 and 72, which may be characterizedas rotatable means (along with all structure carried by the gussetplates, are designed to rotate counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 1,about the pivot bolt 36 when the plow bottom 16 is displaced from itsground-working position toward its idle position, as for example whenthe plow bottom strikes a substantially immovable earthbound obstacle.

Additionally, the gusset plates 70 and 72 are rigidly fastened to thestandard 14 by means of bolts 74 and 76 (FIG. 1). Consequently, thereisnever any appreciable relative movement between the gusset plates 70and 72 and the standard 14 or the plow bottom 16 during thepreviously-mentioned displacement toward the idle position.

The release mechanism 10 broadly includes a pair of external side latchlinks 80 and 82, a detent roller 84, a stop pin 86 carried by the gussetplates 70 and 72 within the space between the gusset plates, and aneccentric leaf spring column 90.

The two side latch links 80 and 82, are respectively positioned adjacentthe exterior surfaces of the gusset plates 70 and 72, suitable spacesbeing provided therebetween, if desired. Latch links 80 and 82 arejoined together by a bolt 94 and are also coupled by bolt whichrotatably supports detent roller 84 between links 80 and 82. The bolt 94passes through an aperture 96 (FIG.'2) in each side link 80 and 82independently of the gusset plates 70 and 72. A pin 92 passes through avertically elongate slot 98 in each side link 80 and 82 and also througha bore 99 in each gusset plate 70 and 72. Links 80 and 82 are pivotallysupported upon plates 70, 72 by pin 92 and can shift in translationrelative to plates 70, 72 by the amount permitted by slots 98.

Slots 98 accommodate limited relative upward translation of gussetplates 70 and 72 with respect to links 80 and 82 during the initialdisplacement of the plow toward its idle position.

The detent roller 84 is carried by bolt 100 which passes through anaperture I01 (FIG. 2)-in each latch link 80 and 82 as well as through acentral bore in the detent roller 84, to rotatably carry the roller uponthe shank of the bolt.

enlarged portion As best seen in H0. 2, roller 84 has .a centralcylindrical portion 102 of comparatively large diameter which isnormally seated in socket recess 38 of beam extension 18 when the plowbottom is in its plowing position, as shown in H6. 1. The 102 isintegrally flanked on each side by cylindrical portions 104 of smallerdiameter. The smaller diameter of the portion 102 provides adequateclearance between theroller 84 and a clearance recess 106 in each of thegusset plates 70 and 72.

Detent roller 84 is normally constrained in the illustrated position ofH6. 1 by a relatch spring 108, the ends of which are respectivelysecured at a block 110 and a pin 112 to tension relatch spring 108. Theblock 110 is integrally secured to the gusset plate 70, as by welding,and has an aperture (not shown) therein through which a short rod 114passes. The rearward end of the rod 114 is equipped with an aperture(not visible) through which the adjacent end 115 of the spring 108passes in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The forward end of the rod 114isthreaded at 116 to receive a nut 118 and a lock nut 120.

The relatch pin 112 is integrally secured to the latch link 80. as bywelding, to retain the end 122 of the spring in the illustratedposition. Thus, the relatch spring 108, which is preferably ofrelatively low spring rate, tends to retain detent roller 84 in thesocket 38. The spring 108 also tends to return the roller 84 to itsabutting position against the recess 38, as shown in FIG. 1, when theplow is being reset after being tripped to the idle position.

Eccentric column 90 comprises a vertically disposed, laterallydeflectable leaf spring 130 of substantial unsupported length which ispreferably fabricated from suitable high strength steel. v

Eccentric column 90 is secured in the illustrated position of FIG. 1 bya lower eye 136 and an upper eye 138, both integral with the leaf spring130, which are respectively rotatably carried upon pin 92 and bolt 94.Suitable spacers may be used to separate the eyes 136 and 138 fromthe'inside surfaces of the gusset plates 70 and 72. The leaf spring 130is eccentrically offset from the axis 140 (passing between the centersof the bolts 92 and 94) by a selected eccentricity 142.

During no-load conditions, the central portion of the leaf spring 130will be spaced a desired, predetermined distance 132 from the rearsurface of the stop 86. During normal plowing operations, variations indraft applied to the plow oscillate gusset plates 70, 72 and cause leafspring 130 to resiliently flex or buckle within the space 132, as pin 92moves in slot 98 in response to oscillation of the plow.

1f the plow bottom 16 strikes an essentially immovable obstacle, gussetplates 70, 72 pivot about the bolt 36 and pin 92 moves upwardly in theslot 98 to flex the spring 130 into contact with the stop pin 86.Further flexing of spring 130 after its central portion engages pin 86biases the upper end of links 80, 82 in clockwise pivotal movement aboutpin 92, thereby resiliently biasing roller 84 out of recess 38 on plowbeam extension 18.

Roller 84 is released from recess 38 by the biasing force applied byspring 130, and this biasing force comes into action only after springhas been bowed enough to contact pin 86. When the central portion ofspring 130 cannot move any further toward the left. as viewed in FIGS. 1and la, the upper end of the spring must move to the right upon furtherupward movement of pin 92.

The geometrical relationship of pivot 36, pin 92, roller 84, and recess38 is such that the normal forces applied by an overload to the plowtend'to seat roller 84 more firmly in recess 38i.e. an overcenterrelationship exists when roller 84 is seated. The overcenterrelationship is overcome by causing the overload forces to squeeze" theopposite ends of spring 130 toward each other, thereby bowing thespring. The length of slot 98 and the initial spacing 132 between thespring and pin 86 are so related that the compressing of the ends ofspring 130 upon the movement of pin'92from its normal position to theupper end of slot 98 causes a bowed deflection of the central portion ofthe spring greater than spacing 132. After roller 84 moves out of recess38, the plow bottom 16, the release mechanism 10 and the gusset plates70 and 72 can pivot about the major pivot bolt 36 into the elevated idleposition. Once the detent roller 84 is ejected from the socket 38, theleaf spring 130 will straighten out and the bolt 92 will return to aposition adjacent the bottom of the slot 98.

Once the obstacle has been cleared, the plow bottom 16 is reset orreturned to its working position automatically either by (1) raising theentire plowing implement causing the release mechanism to return byforce of its own weight to its working position, or (2) reversing theimplement direction of movement to pull the plow bottom back into itsworking position by reason of contact with the ground, as, for example,when using larger plows where the entire implement may not beconveniently raised.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive.

lclaim:

1. In a plow having a main beam, a plow standard and means connectingsaid plow standard to said main beam, the improvement of said meansincluding a plow beam extension having a body progressively increasingin width and cross-sectional area from the plow beam toward the plowstandard, spaced upper and lower flanges extending laterally of saidbody and engaging upper and lower surfaces of said main plow beam forresisting bending movement stresses, means securing said plow beamextension to said plow beam against relative fore and aft movement toaccommodate an essentially unitary resistance to said shear stresses,and means mounted on said securing means having horizontally disposedand outwardly projecting flanges for resisting lateral swaying movementbetween the main beam and the plow beam extension in response totorsional stresses.

